Testing device



Sept. 20, 1932. R. STERN TESTING DEVICE l Filed June 15, 1929 IN V EN TOR.

44.44 .III v .2

A T TORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 20, 1932 Unire STATES PAT-Ei 'I ROBERT s'rnnN, oF UNION CITY, NEW JERSEY, AssIeNoR To LOUIS STERN SONS, aNd, or KEARNY, Nnw .messy Y I TESTING DEVICE Application filed June 13,

The present invention relates to sampling devices employed for the purpose of sampling oils7 greases or the like in tanks, barrels and other receptacles.

With devices of this type which have been hitherto used it has been impossible in testing to obtain true samples of the material at the bottom of the containers. A primary object, therefore, of the present device is to provide a tester that will renderthis possible.

A further object is to provide a tester which is convenient to manipulate and which gives positive results.

Still another object is to provide a tester which is comparatively easy and cheap to manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of elements to be hereinafter more fully described and shown in the accompanying drawing which forms part of this specification, and in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts.

Fig. lis a diagrammatic view of one form of my device in position of use in a tank car.

Fig 2 is a. longitudinal section of my device.

Fig. 3 is a full section along line 3-3 of Fig. 2 seen in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of another form of my device.

In the drawing (Figs. 1-3) 10 denotes my testing device which comprises a tubular member 11 closed at its top and bottom. Suitably engaged in a threaded opening 12 in said top is a long hollow tube 13 to the top end of which is attached a handle 14:. Adapted to slide in said tubular member 11 is a plunger 16 to which is attached a com-V paratively long rod 17 which projects upwardly through the tube 13 terminating in an operating handle 18 which projectsl outwardly through slot 19 in said tube 13. The said slot is dimensioned so as to permit a suitable displacement of said plunger in said member 11.

A longitudinal slot 20 in the side wall of 1929. 'serial No. 370,472.

said member and` extending fto .the bottom l sheath is in its lower or -sealing v.position ion said member, liquid. contents of :said tubular member 11 .may Vbe retained thereinfwith'out danger of leaking. 'Tov insure this sealit'here Vmay be a suitable gasket 22 on .the :bottom of said member 11 with which cooperates Vthe lower edge 21 of said'sheath.

Attached yto the yupper endv of sheath 2l as by screw threaded vengagement is a. hollow operating tube 23 for said `ssheath"which envelops the tube 13 and is adapted to slide thereon. The said tube 23 is shorter'than tube 113 in order that said sheath 21 may slide vover the hollow member 11 to expose the slot V2O therein when desired. VAn open ended slot 213 is provided in the tube 23 which Iis in alignment with :the slot 13 intube 13 whereby the handle ;18 may be freely operated independently of the position-of said sheath .21 and tube 23.

My'device is operated as follows:

Vhen itis desired to sample the contents of :atank vthe instrument is .put into the tank T with the sheath 21 sealing fthe opening120 in member' 11 yand the plunger 116 raised.

VWhen ythe flat1 bottom ofsaid member 111 touches vthe bottom of the tank athesheathi21 israisedfby means of tube23eXposing1open-- ing 20 and permitting .the contents of said tank Lto enter said member 11. If the -contents are viscous or semi-solid a few turns'v of .the Vwhole .device will cause the edges 20 of the slot 20 to shave ofi' suflicient material for test purposes from'the mass at the bottom of the tank and gather it into said member 11. Then the sheath is lowered closing the opening 2O and sealing the contents in said member 11. The instrument may then be withdrawn from said tank and the contents removed therefrom for testing purposes by use of said plunger 16. Because of the flat botto-m and the extension of the opening 2O to the bottom. of said member 11, samples of the material bearing on the very bottom of the tank may be obtained. If desired, to limit the quantity of sample taken, the

. plunger may be adjusted in member 11 20 is exposed. v

before the sheath is raised in the tank.

In the modification of Fig. 4, I show the testing device without a plunger. The structural features otherwise are identical withV those of the modifica-tion of Figs. 1-3 except,

ofcourse, that in thisV instance the slots 23 and 13' are omitted and rod 13a may be solid instead of tubular. In addition to this modication I provide a one kway air valve 24 shown in the present instance as a ball check valve, mounted in the top of the member 11. The said valve willlet air outof but not into said member V1-1. I also provide a small opening 25 near the top of sheath 2l in: or-

Vder that air escaping fromY member l1 may passtherethrough. The device is operated in the same way as the first modiiication except that no plunger is employed. The air va ve 24 merely insures the filling of the' member l1 because the air can escape through saidvalve as the sample flowsinto said member 11 when the sheath O course my` device may be modied in many ways without departing from the spirit of my invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details Vshown and described.

What I claim is: Y In a testing device, a tubular membe closed at its ends, a hollow tube attached to the top of said tubular member and having a handle at its free end, a plunger adapted to 'i slide in said tubular member, a rod; attached to said plunger and extending upwardly through said hollow tube, said rod having a handle at its upper end projecting through a slot in said tube, said tubular member being formed with a longitudinal recess ex-V tending rom its bottom, a tubular sheath f adapted to snugly but slidably fit over said tubular member, and a hollow operating tube extending from the top of said sheath which envelopes said first named hollow tube and is slidable thereon, said hollow operating tube being shorter than said first named hollow tube and having a slot in alignment with said first named slot. Y

Signed at New York thisl2th day of June,

Y 1 ROBERT Y STERN.

21 is'up and the slot 

